Net worth under 35
A look at household wealth for the Under 35 age bracket: the median, the average, the change since 2019, and estimated lines for the top 25%, 10% and 1% — all from the Federal Reserve's 2022 survey.
The typical family
A family in the Under 35 bracket sitting exactly in the middle had a net worth of about $39,000 in 2022, 80% below the $192,900 median for all US families.
At $183,500, the average is 4.7× the median — a sign of how lopsided wealth is within this group.
| Line | Net worth |
|---|---|
| Median (top 50%) | $39,000 |
| Top 25% starts at | $133,667 |
| Top 10% starts at | $389,983 |
| Top 1% starts at | $2.77M |
How it changed since 2019
It rose sharply from the 2019 survey, when the median was $16,100 in 2022 dollars — a +142% real increase, while the mean moved +107%. Rising home and stock prices and pandemic-era savings drove gains across most groups.
The gap between average and typical wealth narrowed too: the mean was 5.5 times the median in 2019 and 4.7 times in 2022, meaning gains reached the middle faster than the top.
| 2019 | 2022 | |
|---|---|---|
| Median | $16,100 | $39,000 |
| Mean | $88,500 | $183,500 |
What it takes to reach the top
Our modeled thresholds for this age group: about $133,667 for the top 25%, $389,983 for the top 10%, and $2.77M for the top 1%. The Fed publishes only the median and mean by age, so these lines are estimated by re-centering the nationwide SCF distribution on this bracket's median — the same method our calculator uses. Treat them as approximate, especially the top 1%.
On the all-ages distribution, $39,000 corresponds to roughly the top 70% of families. The $389,983 needed for this bracket's top 10% equals about the top 34% overall. That's why the same dollar figure can feel very different depending on your age.
Compared with other ages
The 35–44 median, $135,600, is +248% compared with this bracket. These are different families at a single point in time, not the same families followed over the years, so the steps between brackets also reflect generational differences in home buying, education and market timing.
What shapes net worth at this stage
Under 35, net worth is mostly about the first big balance-sheet events: paying down student loans, building an emergency fund, and for some, a first home. Debts often offset assets almost one-for-one, which is why a sizeable share of young families report a net worth near zero or below it. A first mortgage can swing the number sharply in either direction — the home is counted at market value, the loan at what's still owed.
About the data
About the source: the Survey of Consumer Finances interviews several thousand families every three years and oversamples wealthy households so the top is measured well. "Net worth" counts all assets minus all debts. The 2022 median for the Under 35 bracket is $39,000; future pension and Social Security income aren't included as assets.
See where your net worth ranks
Opens the calculator set to the 25–34 age band with the net worth field open. Nothing you type is put in the link.
Open the calculatorSource: Federal Reserve, Changes in U.S. Family Finances from 2019 to 2022 (Survey of Consumer Finances), Table 2 — family net worth by age of reference person, 2022 dollars
Source: Federal Reserve, 2022 Survey of Consumer Finances — nationwide net worth percentiles
Reference statistics only — not financial advice.